Article rating
from 0 people

Distribution

Range Description

The Flatnose Catsharkhas a patchy known distribution in the Indo-West Pacific from Suruga Bay, Japan southwards to the East China Sea, Taiwan, the Philippines, South China Sea, Borneo, the Norfolk Ridge and off Australia (Last and Stevens 2009, Ebert et al. 2013). In Australian waters it is known from off Geraldton, Western Australia, and from off Ingham, Queensland to Brush Island, New South Wales (Last and Stevens 2009).

Article rating
from 0 people

Diagnostic Description

Diagnostic features include the very short abdomen, with interspace between pectoral and pelvic fins base shorter than 3/5 of anal fin base length; pectoral fin tip reaching beyond the midpoint between pectoral and pelvic fins; first dorsal fin smaller in area than the second dorsal; posterior end base (axil) of second dorsal clearly in front of anal fin axil; low anal fin with a long base. Egg capsule very slender; without tendrils, conical posterior end. Claspers without hooks, with posterior margin of exorhipidion forming a free lobe (Ref. 37959). Black, brown or grey (Ref. 11146), without conspicuous markings on fins (Ref. 244).

Article rating
from 0 people

Ecology

Habitat

Habitat and Ecology

The Flatnose Catsharkis a poorly known, continental slope species found between 400 and 1,080 m depth (Last and Stevens 2009, Ebert et al. 2013). It reaches a maximum size of 71 cm total length (TL) with both sexes maturing around 60 cm TL (Last and Stevens 2009, Ebert et al. 2013). Apristurus species are relatively small, sluggish sharks that live on or near the bottom. Where known, reproduction is oviparous with one egg per oviduct.

CCTTTACCTAATTTTTGGTGCATGAGCAGGAATAGTTGGAATGGCTTTAAGCTTATTAATTCGTGCTGAACTAGGTCAACCCGGATCTCTTTTGGGAGATGATCAGATTTACAATGTGATCGTTACCGCCCATGCCTTTGTAATAATCTTTTTTATGGTTATACCAGTAATAATTGGTGGCTTTGGTAATTGACTTGTTCCTTTGATAATTGGTGCGCCAGACATAGCGTTCCCGCGTATAAATAATATAAGCTTCTGACTCCTCCCCCCCTCTTTCTTACTTCTCTTGGCTTCTGCAGGGGTTGAAGCGGGAGCAGGAACCGGGTGAACTGTTTATCCCCCCCTAGCTGGTAACTTAGCACACGCTGGGCCATCCGTTGACCTAGCTATCTTTTCCCTCCATCTGGCCGGTGTTTCATCTATTTTGGCCTCAATTAATTTTATTACAACCATTATTAATATAAAACCCCCAGCCATTTCCCAATATCAAACGCCCCTATTTGTTTGGTCAATTCTTATTACCACTGTTCTTCTTCTTCTCTCTCTCCCAGTTCTTGCAGCCGGAATTACAATATTACTTACAGACCGCAACCTTAATACAACATTTTTTGACCCTGCTGGAGGGGGGGACCCCATTCTCTATCAACACCTA-- end --

The Flatnose Catshark (Apristurus platyrhynchus) is a poorly known, deepwater shark with a patchy known distribution in the Indo-West Pacific. It occurs on the continental slope at depths of 400-1,080 m. It is probably taken as bycatch in deepwater trawl, set net and line fisheries throughout its range, particularly as this species occurs shallower than many otherApristurusspecies. However, at least in a large part of its Australian range fishing pressure is minimal allowing it refuge at greater depths, and it can therefore be assessed as Least Concern.

Article rating
from 0 people

Threats

This catshark is probably taken as bycatch in deepwater trawl, set net and line fisheries that overlap with its range. This species may be caught more regularly in deepwater trawl fisheries than other Apristurus species given its relatively shallower occurrence. Parts of the eastern Australian continental slope for example have been subjected to heavy trawling pressure, however, the range of this species off eastern Australia is primarily outside of heavily fished areas. Deepwater fishing effort is very low where it occurs off northeast Queensland (Noriega et al. 2014).